In Aldridge's mind, the overall idea of building a team is similar to eating.
The first is to eat at a buffet. You can get whatever you want. If you need two wings to fly together, you can buy strong players on the wing. If you want to play defensive counterattack, you need to buy players with fast counterattack speed. These are all at the head coach's discretion.
design.
The second type is to tailor the suit according to the taste of the dish. What kind of cards are in your hand, you need to use the most appropriate playing method to maximize the power of this deck. The tactics are simpler, and you put the players in your hand one by one in the most suitable way.
After placing their characteristics and good positions one by one, the framework of the tactical formation will be almost formed, but the limitations must be huge.
Middlesbrough's tactical formation is the second one.
In the tenth round of the English League One, Aldridge's team will go to North Yorkshire to challenge Middlesbrough for second place in the league!
Aldridge was very serious in the pre-match preparation meeting. The entire coaching staff believed that the most important game in the forty-six rounds of the league is this game!
This season, Middlesbrough changed the club chairman and the head coach. The situation is similar to Millwall. The new coach appointed by Middlesbrough is former Manchester United captain Bryan Robson, so the player-coach
way to manage the team.
With Brian's reputation and the fact that Clayton Blackmore, who moved to Middlesbrough from Manchester United with him, is in the dressing room, Middlesbrough has a surprisingly smooth transition in this turbulent summer, and
With almost no running-in period, Middlesbrough became the favorite to win the League One title!
In the first nine rounds of the league, Millwall had six wins, two draws and one loss, accumulating 20 points.
Middlesbrough also had six wins, two draws and one loss, with the same number of points as Millwall, only ranked second on goal difference.
In the eyes of outside football critics, although Millwall is currently ranked first, the team's too young will be a factor of instability. On the other hand, Middlesbrough is a mature team with an average age of about 25 years old in the main lineup.
The oldest ones on the court are forward Hendry and defender Pearson, both 30 years old, followed by former Manchester United meritorious player Blackmore, 29 years old. It can be said that Middlesbrough has a very mature central axis, which is important for the entire season.
Stable performance is crucial.
There is another factor that makes Middlesbrough the favorites to win the championship, and that is their tactical formation.
Defensive532.
This formation is also used by one team in the Premier League, George Graham's Arsenal. The extremely utilitarian and negative tactics can make the game extremely boring for the sake of points!
Aldridge believes that Millwall are barefoot now and Middlesbrough are wearing shoes, so there is no need to be afraid of each other.
However, the result of this game is of great significance to the young team.
If you lose, then those who are barefoot will be afraid of those who wear shoes.
Don't let the team have the idea that it deserves to lose.
Therefore, he is extremely meticulous in laying out his tactics.
"Although John Hendry on the other side is already thirty years old, he is a pure shooter. You may not see him a few times in the entire 90 minutes of the game, but maybe you can give him one minute to shine.
, he will rewrite the game, and you must pay special attention to his marking. His partner on the striker is 20-year-old Graham Kavanagh. The characteristics of this player are very obvious. It can even be said that he is a defender.
A forward who will harass our defense by actively running in the frontcourt. It should be noted that his header is very good, and his creativity after getting the ball cannot be underestimated. We must cut off the connection between him and Hendry.
connect."
In the pre-match preparation meeting before departure, Aldridge laid out tactics on the tactical board. When it came to defensive arrangements for the opponent, the first step was to analyze the characteristics of the opponent's two forwards and analyze their defensive strategies.
The players listened very carefully. Everyone knew the significance of the next league game. It was a real battle for the top spot!
The next day, Aldridge led the team to North Yorkshire and received a pre-match interview here in Middlesbrough before the afternoon game.
Because it was a battle for the top spot, this league game was held in the evening for the sake of ratings.
Sitting in the press conference hall, Aldrich looked at the reporters representing more than 20 media companies in front of him with a half-smile, some of whom he was deeply impressed by.
This is a big change from the scene before the start of the English League One two months ago.
Young reporters from "The Sun" and "Daily Mail" were also extremely excited to see Aldridge.
Before the reporters started asking questions, Aldrich smiled and greeted the two reporters.
"Thomson, Richard, are you still interns now?"
Thomson, who represented "The Sun", looked a little shy, smiled awkwardly and shook his head.
Obviously, he has become a regular employee.
It’s just that his skin is still a bit tender. After interviewing Aldrich two months ago, he submitted his well-written manuscript to the newspaper editor for review. In the end, the editor changed it beyond recognition, and what appeared in the newspaper the next day was
That article also changed Aldridge from the inspirational young coach in Thomson's novel to a playboy who regarded the club as a toy.
Thomson, who still had professional ethics, felt guilty about this, but fortunately, it seemed that Aldridge didn't take it to heart.
Richard looked much more experienced, and he opened his mouth and said with a smile: "Thanks to you, I have been officially hired by the Daily Mail, hehe."
Aldrich held his chin and asked curiously: "Does it have anything to do with me?"
Richard said proudly: "Of course, I have been following and reporting on Millwall. In the past two months, Millwall has surprised everyone. Haha, Mr. Hall, I already knew that I have been following you.
, I can’t lose my job.”
After saying that, Richard raised his eyebrows at his colleagues, which made reporters from the major newspapers "The Times" and "The Guardian" sneer.
Richard had just entered the industry at a young age, but he was not afraid of anyone as a newborn. Others looked down upon him, so he used his reflex skills and responded with contemptuous sneers.
Now Millwall's strong momentum has attracted attention, and reporters from major newspapers also come here to cover news. Richard is very proud and feels that he has been following Millwall, which can be regarded as foresight...
"There are so many media friends here today. Let's do this. Each person has a question, as short as possible and related to the competition. I refuse to answer other questions. Let's start, Richard, what do you want to know?"
Aldrich sat up straight, his expression always gentle and smiling.
Richard also straightened his back and asked loudly: "Mr. Hall, before the season, you once said that Millwall's goal this season was to avoid relegation, but after nine rounds of the league, your team ranked
You are at the top of League One, and the team’s outstanding performance is obvious to all. It can be said that in the eight games played by the main lineup, you have created a record of zero goals conceded, and only conceded two goals in nine games. The number of goals scored is the only one in League One.
Wolves, now, what goals does your team have?"
This issue is also of concern to other reporters. In fact, based on paper strength alone, outside football critics do not think Millwall is particularly strong, because many players are new faces. Whether they can maintain stable and outstanding performance remains to be seen.
Still a question.
But will the thrill of victory brought by consecutive victories go to the head of the Millwall marshal?
Aldridge touched his forehead and said with a wry smile: "This seems to have nothing to do with the next game. Well, Millwall's goal this season is relatively simple, which is to train the players. What I said before the season remains the same, this is a young team
Our team has unlimited potential. I will not care about gains and losses overnight, nor will I focus on the standings every day. As long as my team is improving in every game, I will be satisfied. If I still say that this season
Our goal is to avoid relegation, you will definitely scold me for hypocrisy in your heart."
Hehehehe.
The reporters present all smiled tacitly.
In English League One, because there are many teams and many rounds of games, the relegation line is roughly around 50 points.
And Aldrich's team scored 20 points after only playing nine rounds in the league. Even if they put a bus in front of the goal, they can easily avoid relegation in the remaining 37 rounds...
Aldridge spread his palms and said helplessly: "Because the Premier League has reduced its teams this season, everyone knows that the only way to upgrade is to win the League One championship and pass the play-offs. The competition will be more cruel and fierce than in previous years, so let's talk about points now.
The goal on the list is too early. I only focus on the next game. If we play game by game, time will give us the answer to what the final result will be."
The reporters were a little uninterested. They naturally wanted to hear Aldrich's heroic words so that they could write about it. This kind of low-key and pragmatic argument was really nothing to attract attention.
Although what Aldrich said is true, it is a bit premature to talk about the situation in the standings. As long as the top teams lose two games, they will immediately fall to the middle or even lower reaches of the standings.
Thomson raised his hand and asked: "Mr. Hall, Mr. Robson, the head coach of Middlesbrough, was asked what he thought of you at the previous press conference. He said that as a head coach, you had a good start.
Millwall ushered in a new era in your hands. I expressed my respect for you and said that Middlesbrough should not underestimate the young Millwall. Other teams in the English League should also pay attention to Millwall.
Existence, what do you think of this? What do you think of Mr. Bryan Robson?"
Aldridge lowered his eyebrows and pondered for a moment. Although Bryan Robson didn't say anything bad at first glance, in fact it was just psychological warfare. It was nothing more than making Millwall the target of public criticism in League One. This kind of trick,
It seems that Bryan Robson is copying Ferguson's tactics.
To be fair, Aldridge's coaching career started at the same time as Bryan Robson, who only took charge of the team as a player-coach this season.
"I can only say that Mr. Robson has done in-depth research on Millwall. I actually hope that every opponent in the English League will despise us. It is best to put all the main players on the bench to rest when they play against us.
hehe."
Hearing Aldrich's straightforward words, the audience burst into laughter again.
Disdain Millwall?
The teams that had underestimated them before were basically crippled by Millwall's efficient defensive counterattack. Only pragmatic teams like Bolton and Reading got points from Millwall.
"Mr. Bryan Robson is a respectable person, and it is not my turn to judge his coaching ability. Middlesbrough's record in the past two months has spoken for itself. Compared with Millwall,
They are the favorites to win the championship, and teams that want to advance to the Premier League will definitely hope to defeat their direct competitors by defeating Middlesbrough."
Aldridge's words are not a compliment. In the English football world of the 1980s, Bryan Robson was not only a magical captain, but also a natural leader. It was this temperament that made him the leader.
After Middlesbrough, the team quickly became full of cohesion and combat effectiveness.
But coaching a team and being the team captain are two different things. The head coach's achievement limit is not determined solely by his mental attributes.
Aldridge does not need to have a grudge with Bryan Robson. It is enough to emphasize that the opponent is the favorite to win the championship realistically. Even if other teams are full of energy against Millwall, at least Middlesbrough can't take any advantage.
Aldrich spoke calmly, occasionally cracked a joke, and was very funny. The press conference ended in a cheerful atmosphere.
